


Finding Love in a Hopeless Place

by NoGoodTuna



Category: Black Clover - 田畠裕基 | Tabata Yuki
Genre: Action & Romance, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Best Friends, Blood and Injury, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Hope vs. Despair, M/M, YunoAsu Week, YunoAsu Week 2019
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-19
Updated: 2019-03-19
Packaged: 2019-11-24 16:05:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,265
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18167279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NoGoodTuna/pseuds/NoGoodTuna
Summary: Yuno watches as an ordinary everyday mission turns for the worst when Asta drops his guard against an enemy. Panicking and fearing for the worst he struggles to come to gripes what happened and swears that he doesn't want to let things end this way. However, Sylph's voice in his head, tells him that Asta is alright. However that couldn't be any further from the truth. Rising from the proverbial ashes is Asta, or whats left of him.Now Yuno must decide to save Asta or to kill him...





	Finding Love in a Hopeless Place

“Yeah nice one, Yuno!” As a slime beast burst into a million droplets, Asta’s shout rang throughout the dungeon.

 _Loud and obnoxious, so like you Asta_. Yuno thought as he smiled from the praise. While it should have been something he ought to have grown tired from, he never did. Hearing Asta’s voice and having his excitement and happiness directed at him never got old. Sadly, the same couldn’t be said for the pestering he received from the little wind spirit that always competed for his attention.

“Oi, Yuno, you never smile like that for me. Unfair.” Sylph pulled his cheek and distorted his smile. As usual, he casually ignored her as he listened to Asta’s ongoing shouts of adoration. They only grew in number as he watched Yuno’s wind move around and around hacking and slashing slimes.

These antics amidst of backdrop of magical knight missions was a common occurrence. Since being introduced to the greater public as the top rookies for several years in a row, he and Asta were constantly paired for missions. From cleaning hog pins to subjugating rogue actors in border towns, they were there, side-by-side, doing all that they could to spread the good name of the magical knights. Of course, Yuno didn’t mind it at all. Anything that let him spend more time Asta was great. And from how excitable Asta always was when they met up, he could tell he felt the same way too.

“Yuno.” Sylph tugged his cheek as she whined, as if she could make him notice her. Pulled out of his thoughts, he gently swatted her aside as he directed wind towards a slime in the distance. As it bobbled along, however, his attention turned to Asta who faced two slimes in front of him. Quickly realizing a third was now approaching his rear, he quickly shouted getting his attention.

“Watch your back, Asta!”

 _Huh?!_ Asta threw his head back just as the slime curved its body to hit him. Quickly pivoting on his toes, the two swords in his hand perpendicularly cut the three slimes making them burst like a bubble. As green, blue, and red liquid flew in all directions, Yuno stood in awe as he watched how they sparkled in front of Asta making him look magical in the phosphoric lighting of the cave. Sweat that glistened on his brow and trailed down his face, made his face shine brightly, enhancing his smile as he turned and shouted at Yuno in that familiar voice. “Thanks for the heads-up Yuno.  I owe you one!”

“Yuno, you’re doing that thing again! Oi Yuno!” Sylph called and called as she bopped him on the head. Realizing that his was no time to feel mesmerized by Asta's appreciative gaze, he quickly twitched his fingers wrapping himself in wind. Slimes that spewed liquid on him were soon coated with it as he redirected it back towards them. Amidst their whines and groans, Asta whistled in admiration.

“Whew!  So _badass_ Yuno, you didn’t even have to get yourself dirty!”

“I can say the same for you, Asta. Not bad.” As he glanced at Asta, he was, as he expected, spotless. He’d learned pretty early in their team-ups that he was an expert at dodging attacks.

Asta _humpfed_ pretty proudly as he pointed at himself. “It’s all because I’ve been getting better with _Ki_. I can dodge everything.”

“Everything?” Yuno scoffed teasingly. “Only when you pay attention.”

“Yeah! But that’s why I can let my guard down. You always have my back Yuno. I can always count on you to look out for me.” Asta beamed appreciatively and brightly, blindingly, almost as if he tried to illuminate the corridor with only his smile. Yuno almost fell into that mesmerized stupor again, but the way the corridor lit up distracted him. It only grew brighter as he stared.

“Asta! Move, get away, now!” He shouted just as he realized the light was only growing brighter because it was moving, and it was moving closer to Asta. But it was too late. The ground rocked and shook with the force of a powerful earthquake throwing both him and Asta to the ground. Debris from the roof fell all around them and kept them pinned in place. Though he didn’t care. As long as he could see Asta he could do something. Not even taking the time to stand, he quickly moved his fingers and directed wind towards him as if he could bring him closer.

Though the wind fell away as an orange slime that glowed brightly rolled into view. So big and so large, it all but disturbed the native airflow forcing Yuno’s wind to dissipate. Stuffy and unmoving, the air suddenly felt heavy as a noxious odor emanated from the slime. Asta tried to scurry away from it but a rock kept his leg pinned in place. The look of horror on his face crossed Yuno for just a moment and made him shout for any sort of assistance he could get.

“Sylph, Sylph, do something, anything, please save him!” He shouted as he moved his fingers along and made the stuffy noxious air finally move again. Without a word she transformed herself into a blur of green that glowed mystically as it sped towards Asta with the speed of a blustery gust of wind.

He watched her approach and move just under Asta as if to lift him and move him out the way. Just when he thought he was going to be saved, his stomach dropped. The slime moved suddenly as if it purposely waiting for just the right moment to take out two targets at once. It grumbled loudly, shaking the area harshly once again and coating the area in more dust, debris, shards of crystals. As clouds of these objects nearly blinded him, he saw the slime move and roll right on top of them. Asta's scream and any sound from Sylph was muffled and eventually silenced.

Time ticked by ever so slowly as he waited for the dust and debris to settle. His impatience got the best of him as he fervently hoped for the natural lighting of the cave to quickly pierce through these clouds of dust and illuminate the slime, the sprite, and his friend. He needed to see if they were alright! He needed to know if by some miracle that his eyes had played a trick on them and they had simply rolled out of the way in time. They couldn't be dead, they couldn't be crushed, now could they?

As it cleared just a little bit, he squinted as he tried to see if he could find them. He scanned, oh did he scan for any sight of that soft ashy blond and unruly hair that he loved to joke about. Looking so fluffy and soft, he’d always wanted to touch it like they did in the old days. But now, now that it seemed so absent he wanted to just see it, to touch it before he forgot how it felt.  He searched for that black headband that Asta still so proudly wore as he remembered how Asta hugged the _hell_ out of him the day he gave it to him and told him that he’d always wear it to remind himself of Yuno when and wherever they happened to be. Yuno teased him about it back then, saying it’s just a headband, but Asta shook his head and said it was more than just a headband. It was a special gift from his best friend and he’d never ever forget about it. He loved it and cherished it.

Tears welled up as he realized they were nowhere to be found. Though not giving up, he tried to feel them, wondering if maybe, just maybe they flew away somewhere else. The gentle wind that he kept flowing around Asta, a precaution so that he would never lose him and know when and where he was at all times in these dungeons was gone. The magical connection he had with Sylph was severed. It felt like she’d never been there at all. Even the wind he cloaked himself in weakened considerably as if the power she supplied him was nonexistent.

Was this it? Was this the end for him? Not willing to accept it, he crawled forward and summoned as much wind as he could. Not willing to let things end here, he moved the wind around him with so much force that it howled and picked up every single bit of debris around. With a flick of his hand he launched it at the slime with incredible force. Everything punctured the slime all over the place, sending goo splattering in all directions.  Though the slime sat unmoving as if his attack was pointless.

Yuno slammed his fist down in anger. “I can’t let it end here. It can’t end this way. Astaaaaaaa!”

“Then it won’t, says the _annoying one_ at least.” Sylph's voice punctured the still reverberating shout. He looked for any sign of her. Seeing none, he quickly spoke in a panic. “Asta’s still alive, where?!”

“Inside, Yuno, give him a second.”

Just then, the slime’s body rippled like the surface of a pond. It jiggled and shook as it squelched. Just as it looked like it was going to deform completely, it exploded. Slime splattered on everything, even Yuno and the body that now stood standing in the center of it all.

Yuno ignored clearing the slime off himself as he ran up to Asta. Never had he been any gladder to see him, though that thought stopped just as he did when he realized that Asta looked so different. One of his eyes was painted a very deep blood red, as if it were an eye from the demonic dragon of death and destruction they all feared. A horn that looked utterly otherworldly and ghastly sprouted from his head. A shriveled-up wing slowly and meticulously unfurled on his back. Asta screamed as if he were in deep and agonizing pain. He only stopped when it was finally at its full size. Either from the weight of the wing or from the pain, Yuno didn’t know, but Asta fell to his knees and bent over coughing up an insane amount of blood and other liquids. His body convulsed harshly as more and more came out, only stopping when it seemed like he was about to suffocate himself. As he breathed heavily and harshly, Yuno stood still.

He wanted to rush to him, but he didn’t know if it was alright. He’d heard rumors of a demon-human hybrid that was out and about in the country, but he always cast them aside as mere foolishness. The way they described it as something horrifying, out of this world, and simply vile and evil was unbelievable. While he knew the one they were talking about was Asta, he never realized that the form he used could ever in a million years look like this. This, this form that he took looked even more frightening and blood-curdling than he could have ever imagined. Taken aback and wanting to escape from something that looked like it came from his worst nightmare, he crawled back a bit as he wondered if this was really still Asta or…

“He’s still himself, Yuno, but.” Slyph’s voice fell as she fluttered and sat on his shoulder. “The demon stirs.”

Yuno finally stopped moving as he stared at Asta. While he might have ran away he realized that Asta needed him. If there were some way he could help him end not only his suffering but pull free from the demon, then he’d stay and do whatever he could. “Can I?”

Slyph sighed as if bored. “You can, but it’s too late. You can’t-”

He cut her off as he finally crawled forward. “I don’t care.”

“Not like I can stop you. But take heed.”

“We’ll cross that bridge when we get there.” And with that Yuno tuned her out as he stumbled on his hands and knees at first and eventually to his feet as he raced towards Asta. When he met him, he knelt beside him and planted a hand on his chest and stomach, guiding him upwards. When he stood Asta’s head fell forward limply, as if he was not there. Yuno called his name a few times, only stopping when he finally stirred.

“Yuno, I did it, didn’t I. I killed it, right?” Asta’s smile was deformed and wicked, as if he were pained and distraught as blood trailed down his mouth and out of his eye. Though he stared at Yuno, he didn’t really have him in his sight. It was like he was there but also not there. It was strange and disheartening to see a look that should have made him happy, elated, and filled with joy, frighten him, and chill him to his bones. Not wanting to scare Asta, he stayed where he was and did his hardest to maintain his usual demeanor.

“You did what exactly? Brought yourself one step closer to death? Tried to get yourself killed?” Yuno chastised as he struggled to maintain eye contact. The blood red eye narrowed as it fell upon him. The way it squelched made him queasy.

“I wasn’t trying too, Yuno.” Asta spat, saying his name with an unusual twinge of annoyance and irritation. The eye flared red as it shook with fury.

Yuno ignored it as he struggled to get over Asta blowing him off like that. It was so unlike him. Realizing that he needed to be sterner, he admonished him. “I told you, don’t get distracted. Yet not even after I finished breathing, you had to let your guard down and let this, this, this thing take over. What’s with you?!”

Asta chuckled darkly as he pushed him away. “What’s with me? What’s with you Yuno? I saved you, I protected you. I kept you from dying, and I kept myself from dying. Why aren’t you happy? Why aren’t you glad for me? I did something amazing, incredible, and awesome. This, this thing didn’t take over Yuno. I called out to it. I called upon its power and let it course through my body, filling me with its energy as it flowed and flowed and flowed. Look at me, Yuno!”  Asta stopped once he fell into another coughing fit. Black ooze mixed with blood as it poured from his mouth and onto Yuno’s pants and shoes.

Yuno jumped away as Asta fell forward once more and spewed out his entire insides, organs and all. Yuno had to do his best to keep from throwing up his breakfast. He couldn't fall weak in the knees when Asta was on the verge of losing himself, assuming he hadn't already. Still, it took him a while to finally gather the courage he needed to step forward and stand beside him again. Though everything smelled repulsive and like death, he stayed beside him and coaxed him into saying something.

“Return to yourself Asta, this form, this thing is going to kill you.” Yuno demanded as realized the horrible things it was doing to Asta. How the boy hadn’t died from blood loss and dehydration was beyond him. Who could care about being taken over when the boy would die before that would even happen?

“Don’t you think that’s what I’ve been trying to do, Yuno?” Asta cried as he fell against Yuno’s body. It was like his demeanor suddenly changed from how it was before. No longer antagonistic or even craved with power, he was calmed, and frightened. He could feel the boy shivering against his body, moving his arms around him as if he could somehow anchor him and bring him back to the form he once knew.

Though that didn’t last for long as another coughing fit broke their contact and sent Asta spiraling downwards. Completely flat on the ground, his body trembled, and jerked, and moved like a worm, as if there was something inside of him that was trying to break free.

“Asta! Asta! Asta!” Yuno screamed as he helplessly watched him, unsure of what he could even do.

“It begins.” Slyph, finally interested in the proceedings before them, stared intently.

Asta clawed at the wing on his back as if he could try to rip it off, but he was in too much pain to keep it up for long. He coughed, shouted, and screamed making all sorts of sounds that grew too much for Yuno to take. He found himself on the ground for the second time that day, nearly on the verge of spewing his own insides out as the sight, blood, and smell became too much for him to take. Even as Sylph bathed him in air that smelt as sweet as the sweetest nuts and berries, he still lay there, ready to barf up everything.

Still, he eventually turned his head towards Asta and looked on with pity. He hoped to god that something or someone would please have mercy on Asta and save him from this ordeal.

“Run, Yuno. Run!” Asta shouted in between all the gut wrenching sounds he made.

“I can’t leave you here, Asta!” Yuno shouted as he felt tears running down his face. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he needed to get away. There was nothing to do for the boy. He was finally transforming into that thing and he could do nothing to stop it.

“You. Have. To. I. I. Want. To. Kill. You. Kill. You-Yu-no. Run!” Asta’s voice was mixed with something foreign and cannibalistic before it morphed into a heavy growl laced with evil. The blood red eye sent out a red light that illuminated the area around Asta. Mixed with a black aura, it looked vile. It spread outwards and raced towards Yuno.

“We need to leave, Yuno. The boy. He’s gone. And the demon, it’s awakened.” Sylph already had the air moving strongly and enough to move Yuno away from the approaching aura.

Yuno didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay. He wanted to protect Asta. He wanted to save him. But as Asta stared at him and looked at him with a tear in his normal eye, he understood that he needed to go. Asta wanted him to leave. Asta didn’t want him to see him this way.

Just as that tear finally rolled down his face, his eyeball rolled into the back of his head. It was as if it was locked gate that just sprung open, allowing the demon transformation to finally run amok as it was unleashed. The black aura that was around his body exploded wrapping his body in black. A second wing sprouted from his back faster this time as if it cared little for how painful it was to Asta. Shouts, screams, everything fell away as Asta was knocked unconscious by it all.

For Yuno, that blackness exploded and collided with a wall of wind Sylph put up just in time. Yuno stared through it, trying to see Asta for one final time. As he met that body wrapped in black, his heart fell. Asta was gone. Asta was gone, and he did nothing to stop it from happening. He was weak, terrible, awful, and so woefully unprepared to do anything to save him. Tears flooded his eyes as he wept bitterly. Falling to his knees, he collapsed in on himself and tuned everything around him out.

**Author's Note:**

> For YunoAsu Week Day 2: Light and Dark/Promises
> 
> Er guess something different than I usually write for them. Don't know how it turned out considering I wrote this in one day. 
> 
> Was originally going to do it all in one chapter, but decided to split it in two since I really want to nail the ending. Should be done in a few days.


End file.
